A nurse on a medical-surgical unit has accepted a transfer to the Intensive care unit (ICU). Prior to transfer to the ICU, the nurse completes an online critical care and emergency nursing course. The nurse is demonstrating which of the following ethical principles?

Rationale:

A. Inform the state medical board for an immediate investigation is not the initial step; concerns should first be reported to appropriate facility personnel.

B. Counsel the provider to determine the cause of the substance abuse is not the nurse’s role; this is a serious issue that requires reporting rather than counseling.

C. Notify the nursing supervisor of the concerns is the appropriate initial step to address the issue according to facility protocol.

D. Encourage clients to change to a different provider is not within the nurse’s scope of practice for handling the provider's behavior and does not address the root issue.

Rationale:

A. A client who is 3 days postoperative following a craniotomy requires careful monitoring due to potential complications from brain surgery, so vital signs should be taken by a nurse.

B. A client who is 3 days postoperative following gastric bypass surgery is stable enough for an AP to obtain vital signs, as the risk of immediate postoperative complications is lower compared to more recent surgeries.

C. A client who is 2 hr postoperative following an abdominal hysterectomy requires close monitoring due to the recent surgery, so vital signs should be obtained by a nurse.

D. A client who is 1 hr postoperative following a thyroidectomy requires vigilant monitoring for potential complications from recent surgery, which should be done by a nurse.